SHELBURNE. N.S. – There were no speeches or marches at the Save Our Rural Healthcare Provincial Day of Action rally in Shelburne on Oct. 13; just a group photo and book signing delivering a message to the provincial government to save health care services in rural Nova Scotia.
An estimated 200 people turned out for the rally at the Community Centre on King Street.
“I’m pleased with the turnout,” said Shelburne Mayor Karen Mattatall. “Considering we just had a rally three weeks ago that saw 300 people – this number of people, probably close to 200, certainly indicates to me that people are concerned and they want some changes.
“I think it’s a real good indication that within a couple of weeks this many people came out again,” she said. “I’m hoping that across the province people are doing the same thing.”
Mayor Mattatall said the town is going to make the book in which they were gathering signatures on the weekend available at the town hall and maybe a few other locations in the coming weeks for more people to sign if they wish.
The book is not a petition, just another avenue for people to show government they are concerned with the health care system in Nova Scotia, particularly rural areas, said Mayor Mattatall, adding it will be given to the MLA to bring to the House of Assembly when it opens for the spring session.
There were other locations in the province on Oct. 13 where a Save Our Rural Healthcare Provincial Day of Action rallies took place. The tri-counties saw one in each county. One in Digby saw around 50 people take part. There was also one in Yarmouth but only a handful of people turned out for that one. It was suggested the low turnout could have been linked to the fact that the emergency department in Yarmouth doesn’t experience closures like the ones in Shelburne and Digby do, where lack of physician availability leads to numerous ER department closures at those two hospitals.
